APSU Women’s Volleyball
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team returns home for the second of five two-match Ohio Valley Conference home stands when it hosts Southeast Missouri and Eastern Illinois, Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Lady Govs and Redhawks will square off in a 7:00pm, Friday contest before APSU hosts the Panthers in a 2:00pm, Saturday affair.
Austin Peay (12-3, 3-1 OVC) is second in the OVC race after two weeks, losing only to Jacksonville State – the team it shares second place with – last weekend. The Lady Govs have been battling a bout of inconsistency in their last three matches, posting a 1-2 record in that span.
“Both teams this weekend will pose different challenges in how we run our system. Southeast Missouri has proven to be one of the best defensive teams in the OVC so it will be very important that we are aggressive at the net. Eastern Illinois also has been doing some really good things this season. ”
Sophomore Nikki Doyle has been displaced from the league’s top spot among hitters, her 3.79 kills per set ranking now second entering the weekend. As a team, the Lady Govs remain ranked among the top two in six of seven statistical categories, including league leads in assists (12.98 per set), kills (13.79 per set) and service aces (1.85 per set).
Southeast Missouri (4-7, 1-2) visits the Dunn Center after ending its three-match homestand with an upset loss to UT Martin, Tuesday. It was the Redhawks second consecutive conference loss, following a loss to league leading Morehead State, Saturday.
Senior Claire Keaton leads Southeast Missouri with 139 kills and her 3.09 kill-per-set mark ranks fifth among the OVC’s hitters. The Redhawks enter the weekend as the league’s top-ranked defense, averaging 18.33 digs per set, ranking fifth nationally in that category.
Eastern Illinois (8-7, 1-2) finished its recent three-match homestand with a victory against Murray State, Tuesday, salvaging a stand which began with back-to-back losses to Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky, last weekend.
The Panthers boast the league’s top hitter – senior Kelsey Orr who is averaging a league-best 3.82 kills per set and boasts a league-high 214 kills this season. Junior Chrissie Albers leads Eastern Illinois with a league-best 10.93 assists per set.
